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Training to stay on track

Ontario's Second Career retraining program will survive the upcoming budget, says John Milloy, the province's minister of training, colleges and universities.

The push to get unemployed Ontarians back into school will last its full three-year session, despite burning through its original funding and nearing the end of a second infusion of cash.

Tired of waiting for Second Career funding approval, Derek Baker enrolled in George Brown's hospitality program on his own initiative. (Feb. 25, 2010) (KEITH BEATY / TORONTO STAR)

Milloy said his ministry has "eliminated" a backlog that unexpectedly built up last fall after a torrent of 10,000 fresh applicants in August and September swept away funding meant to last another 18 months.

Among the applicants who fell through the cracks during the funding limbo was a laid-off autoworker who asked the Star to use only his middle name, Allan.

"It's been humiliating enough," said the 39-year-old Toronto man.

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The former parts worker at GM applied to Second Career in June 2009 through one of the 150 third-party agencies used by the province to process social service clients.

His counsellor promised a decision within six weeks. Instead, it took six months, during which he missed two start dates for the Humber College truck driving program that had accepted him.

In the meantime, Allan's EI ran out. He turned to food banks and had to find a smaller apartment. "It was really tough," he said. "My family gave me No Frills gift cards."

Humber gave him another start date, in February 2010, and Allan began hassling politicians for action. Something gave, and Allan got his Second Career approval and started class last month. Trucking companies are already calling to see if he is licensed yet.

One final insult: he is still waiting for the living expenses part of his grant. To pay for food and transportation this month, Allan had to get a welfare cheque.

Hospitality student Derek Baker waited from September to December for funding approval. In January, having already paid George Brown College $145 to hold his spot, Baker could wait no longer and started classes, even though he can't afford the tuition.

Last time he spoke to his career counsellor, she told him he'd have to drop out because Second Career funding isn't available to those who are already students.

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"All I want to do is learn and contribute," said Baker, 38, a bike mechanic who was laid off from Duke's Cycle after the store burned down during the 2008 Queen St. fire.

"You guys are telling me that in order to go to school I can't go to school? Are you crazy?"

About 26,000 Ontarians have updated their training through Second Career, which was launched in June 2008. Originally aimed at laid-off auto and manufacturing workers, it had an initial budget of $355 million and a goal of training 20,000 people over three years.

Early applications were low, so the province broadened the eligibility criteria, allowing any Ontarian who had been on EI as far back as 2005 to apply for grants worth up to $28,000 over two years.

Then the recession brought a spike in hopeful students. "Quite frankly, it was beyond our expectations," said Milloy.

At George Brown, for example, there were 70 Second Career students enrolled in May 2009. That number rose to 450 for the September 2009 term. So eligibility criteria were tightened last fall to "make sure it was accessible to those most in need," said Milloy. Another $78 million was found for 8,000 additional spots, of which 6,000 have been filled so far.

Despite these bumps, there have been success stories, like recent George Brown grad Rodica Tessier.

In 2006, she was in the midst of a marital split and watching her high-tech entrepreneurial pursuits slip from her grasp.

"The whole life I had known was lost within two years," said Tessier, who had plenty of work experience but only a high school education. By 2008, she had lost her house and was living off RSPs.

Tessier heard about Second Career in September 2008 and was in class by January 2009. "I was never without money," she says of her tuition and living stipends. "It was the smoothest thing I've ever seen."

Now 60, Tessier has a contract as a career counsellor in Durham and is confident she will find more work when it expires.

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